Bookrest



Dec. 24, 1940. I R. 1 HARRIS 2,225,830

BOOKREST Filed Jan. 1o, 1958 '2 sheets-sheet 2- MM5/170x? WRR/@R Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOOKREST Ramsay L. Harris, Ontario, Calif.

Application January 10, 1938, Serial No. 184,275

6 Claims.

My invention relates to collapsible bookrests for supporting books in inclined position, and more particularly to such a device which is secured to a book.

An object of my invention is to provide a bookrest suiciently simple and inexpensive to permit provision of such a device on each book.

Another object is the provision of a bookrest that may be readily folded into inoperative position within the covers of a book1 A further object of my invention is to produce a bookrest that may be made integral with a book cover or subsequently attached to the cover in a simple manner.

To facilitate the display as well as the use of books, another object of my invention is to provide a bookrest suitable for supporting a closed as well as an open book in inclined position.

A further object of my invention is the provision of simple means for holding the pages against the` covers of a book when the latter is supported in open position'by the bookrest of my invention. Another object of my invention is the provision of an adjustable bookrest that may be used to support a book in various angular relations or used to support abook or group of books in vertical position in the manner of bookends.

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description `taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an open book being supported by a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the inoperative or folded position of the bookrest shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the book and bookrest shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views in reduced scale showing the manner in which the bookrest of my invention is moved from the inoperative position shown in Fig. 2 to the operative position shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the page-holding device of my invention.

Fig. '7 is an elevational view showing a group of books being supported in vertical position by 50 a modified form of bookrest of my invention.

Fig. 8 is a view shoudng the manner in which the modified bookrest is used to support a book in inclined position, and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the 55 manner in which the modified form of bookrest of my invention is folded into inoperative position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a bookrest I0, comprising a preferred embodiment of my invention, includes a pair of identical units A and B mounted on the covers C of a book D as shown in Fig. l.

Each of the units A and B includes ve panel members II, I2, E3, I4 and I5 made of heavy paper, cardboard or the like. The panel It, which is subjected to a compression stress when the bookrest It! is in use, is preferably made of more rigid material than the panels II, I2, I 3 and I5 which are subjected to tensile strains.

Fixed on the panel member II and adjacent edges of the panels I2 and I5 is a sheet I'I of tough, flexible paper or fabric, strips I8 of similar material being employed to flexibly join the abutting edges of the panels I Z, i3, I4 and I5.

Itis to be noted that the panels II to I5 might also be made integral of a continuous piece of suitable material and creased or scored to providel the necessary joints instead of employing the strips Il and I8. Secured between the panel il and sheet E'I is a page-holder 20 formed of springwire to provide a finger 2| having a bent tip 22 and stem 23, the latter having a bent portion 24 at its extremity. The nger 2I and portion `2&3 of the page-holder 2l] are normally disposed in the same plane thus causing the finger 2l to lie against the cover C of the book D when the page-holder 2i] is not in use. The underside of the panel members II are preferably supplied with adhesive material to permit securing the units A and B to the book covers C although it is understood that the panels II might be made integral with the covers C or attached in other Ways.

When not in use the units A and B of the bookrest I0 are collapsed against the inside of the covers C-as shown in Fig. 2. The units A and B are readily swung into the operative position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 in the manner illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. To hold the pages-P of the book C in open position, the lingers 2| are raised and placed over the edges of the pages as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The stem 23 of the pageholder 2B exerts a tortional force on the finger 2I causing the tip 22 thereof to be continually urged against the pages P regardless of the number of pages embraced by the finger 2|.

Reference is now made to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings in which a modified form of bookrest 30 of my invention is shown. The bookrest 30 includes units E and F attached to the back and front covers C respectively of books G, H and J. Fig. '7 shows the unit E of book G and the unit F of book J being used as bookends to support the books G, I-I and J in vertical position.

Each of the units E and F of the modified bookrest 30 includes six panel members 3| to 3B inclusive as best shown in Fig. 9. Fixed on the pan- .el 3| is a member 3'| of flexible material to which adjacent edges of the panels 32 and 36 are attached. Flexibly joining the adjacent edges of the panels 32 to 36 inclusive are strips 38. The panel 3| lis secured to the book cover C in the same manner as the panel of the aforedescribed bookrest I0. Mounted between the panel 3| and the member 3l is a page-holder 40 similar to the aforedescribed page-holder 2|).`

The modied bookrest 39 is substantially similar` to the bookrest I with the exception that the bookrest 30 has the additional panel 34 to permit its use as either a bookend, as shown in Fig. 7, or a bookrest as shown in Fig. 8. It is also obvious that by increasing the length of the panel j 33 and proportionately decreasing the length of the panel 34, the bookrest 30 may be used to support the book at a different angle than shown in Fig. 8 thus providing an adjustable bookrest.

Although I have shown and described but one preferred form of my invention, it is understood that many modifications and changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bookrest for supporting a book in inclined position on a surface, the combination of a rigid panel extending from said surface into supporting relation with a cover portion of said book; a primary member flexibly joined to the upper edge of said rigid panel and extending around the lower edge of said cover, said primary member being attached to the inside surface of said cover adjacent said lower'edge thereof; and a secondary member flexibly joined to the lower edge of said rigid panel and extending around the lower edge of said book cover, said secondary member being attached to the inside surface of said cover at a given distance above the lower edge of said cover, the combined length of said rigid panel and said primary member being equal to the length of said secondary member plus the said given distance from the lower edge of said cover to the point of attachment on said cover of said secondary member, to permit said bookrest to be collapsed into inoperative position with said secondary member fully extended and disposed flat against the inside surface of rsaid cover and with said panel and vsaid primary member fully extended'and disposed in flat, superimposed relation to said secondary member.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said secondary member is adjustable in length when in operative position to enable changing the angularity of said rigid panel relative to said surface so as to alter the angle of inclination of said book relative to said surface.

3. A combination as in claim 1 in which means is provided for altering the angularity of said rigid panel to vary the angle of inclination of said book relative to said surface.

4. In a bookrest, the combination of: a rigid panel extending from a surface to a cover of said book for supporting said book in inclined position relative to said surface; means for retaining the upper edge of said panel in supporting relation with said cover; and a connecting member extending from the lower edge of said panel to a point of attachment adjacent the lower edge of said cover, a portion of said connecting member adjacent the lower edge of said panel comprising a rigid section flexibly joined with the remaining portion of said connecting member, said rigid section being foldable into superimposed relation vvith said remaining portion of said connecting member to change the angularity of said rigid panel relative to said surface.

5. A combination as in claim 4 in which the length of the rigid section of said connecting member is such as to cause said rigid panel to support said book in vertical position when said rigid section is superposed on the remaining portion of said connecting member.

6. In a bookrest, the combination of: a rigid panel extending from a surface to the cover of a book for supporting said book in inclined position on said surface; a primary member extending from the upper edge of said panel around the lower edge of said cover and attached to the inside surface of said cover adjacent the lower edge of said cover; and a secondary member extending from the lower edge of said panel around the lower edge of said cover and attached to the inside surface of said cover at a given point spaced above the po-int of attachment on said cover of said primary member, the combined length of said rigid panel and said primary member being equal to the length of said secondary member plus the distance between the points of attachment of said primary and secondary members on said cover to permit said bookrest to be collapsed intoinoperative position with said secondary member fully extended and disposed flat against the inside surface 0f said cover and with said panel and said primary member fully extended and disposed in flat, superimposed relation to said secondary member, a portion of said secondary member adjacent the lower edge of said rigid panel comprising a rigid section ilexibly joined with the remaining portion of said secondary member, said rigid section being foldable into superimposed relation with said remaining portion of said secondary member to change the angularity of said rigid panel relative to said surface.

RAMSAY L. HARRIS. 

